Patriots News: Cam Newton Signs 1-Year Contract After Passing Physical

The New England Patriots have another MVP under center.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the AFC East team signed Cam Newton to a one-year contract Wednesday. Rapoport had previously reported the Patriots guaranteed Newton $550,000 with a $1.1 million base salary. The contract also features $5.8 million in incentives and maxes out at $7.5 million.

The Patriots welcomed Newton to the team Wednesday as well:

New England is not committing much money to the quarterback position after Tom Brady departed in free agency to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe noted the Patriots are spending the least amount of money on the position across the league:

While there are questions about Newton, he also gives the Patriots a proven option as they transition from the Brady era. That is something they don't have in second-year signal-caller Jarrett Stidham and journeyman Brian Hoyer, though Newton is not guaranteed to start.

Injuries are a concern with the Auburn product after he missed time in 2018 with a shoulder injury and all but two games in 2019 because of a foot injury that required surgery. Health likely played a factor in the Carolina Panthers' decision to release him this offseason and hand the quarterback reins to Teddy Bridgewater.

If Newton can stay healthy, the Patriots will have a much higher ceiling than they would with Stidham or Hoyer.

Newton isn't that far removed from his 2015 MVP season, when he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and the Super Bowl, and he poses a much more significant threat with his legs than the other options. The three-time Pro Bowler will also have the chance to work with head coach Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, and could play with a chip on his shoulder after the Panthers moved on.

Newton can officially call himself a Patriot now as he works toward leading another team to a Super Bowl.